WWE World Champion Named No. 1 on the 2023 PWI 500

Seth Rollins was named No. 1 on the PWI 500 for the third time in his career, tying John Cena for the record

By Connor Casey

Pro Wrestling Illustrated unveiled the Top 10 for the 2023 PWI 500 on Thursday, announcing World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins at No. 1. Rollins previously earned the ranking in 2015 and 2019 and now joins John Cena as the only men to have ever claimed the top spot in three separate years. The rest of the Top 10 (in order) are Roman Reigns, Jon Moxley, Gunther, Hijo Del Vikingo, MJF, Kazuchika Okada, Orange Cassidy, Josh Alexander and Cody Rhodes. 

2023 has proved to be a banner year for "The Visionary." After beating Logan Paul at WrestleMania 39, Rollins once again became the centerpiece of Monday Night Raw by becoming the inaugural World Heavyweight Champion. Despite the title being heavily criticized as "secondary" compared to Roman Reigns' Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, Rollins has already outworked Reigns with five televised title defenses in just under four months. Reigns has only competed in four pay-per-view title matches since the start of the year.

Seth Rollins on His Back Injury Not Affecting His Title Reign

Rollins revealed in an interview on the Impaulsive podcast earlier this summer that he's been dealing with a nagging back injury since 2019, one that will eventually require surgery. That injury has become a focal point of his ongoing feud with Shinsuke Nakamura, though Rollins has repeatedly stated the injury won't hinder his title reign. 

"It is what it is. All of us have something," Rollins said on The Bump this week. "We've all got some sort of nagging injury, we've all got something that's pulling at us, telling us we need to slow down. That's just part of the game. I know that. Everybody knows that. Now, my injury might be a little more serious than some people. But I know how to manage it. I told Shinsuke, I told the world. I won the World Heavyweight Championship with a broken back. I've been defending the World Heavyweight Championship with a broken back. 

"So even though Shinsuke's the first guy to really target that injury, I feel like I know what it takes to manage it. I'll be just fine, I promise you. I promise everybody out there who's concerned. I'm gonna be fine. I promise you guys, I will be fine. The championship is in good hands," he continued.

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